The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-31
An Elaborate Exposition Of His Forthcoming
Work, the Great CrJptogram."
The Authorship Of the Wurld-Rsaownsd
Plays Awarded to Lord Blc5n.
Full History OF the Cipher Narrative-H His
Account of the Bard's Character
An Array of Startling Facts,

Shakespeare plays to Lord Bacon. The ar
ticle is written by Prof. Thomas Davidson,
q well known scholar, philosopher aud
critic whose opiAions as to Mr.. DOnnelly's
work cannot fail to carry great weight.
Davidson has recently paid Mr.. Donnelly
visit at his home at Hastings, Minnesota,
examined the manuscript of his forthcom-
ing work, the Great Cryptogram," had
the main features of the cYpaer ex-
planned to him and obtained per-
mission to report. Before examining
Mr.. Donnelly's work, Mr.. Davidson was an
entire skeptic in regard to the the Bacon
theory; but he now admits that he is very
much shaken in his belief that the plays
were written by Shakespeare, aud declares
that If they had come down to us without
any authors name attached they would
have been unhesitatingly attributed to
Bacon. He says he reached this conviction
altogether apart from the CIPHER. The
article gives a brief summary of the re-
suits reached in MIR. Donnelly's book
which is to be published about the fist
of December by the firm of r. S. Peal
d Co, of Chicago. TIE book is di-
Vided int two parts. an argument
and a demonstration. The former collects,
arranges, and sums up all the arguments
that have been put forward in the last
thirty years in favor OF the Baconian theo-
~ and adds large number to them. The
author first endeavors to show that the ed
ucatiOn and character Of William Shakes
peare were such that it is even ridiculous
to mention that he could have written plays
which are distilled from all the wis
dom and learning of the world. He
shows that his education must have
been extremely meagre, while that OF the
author Of the'pleTs was broad and deep. he
emphasizes the fact that we have no record
of any study on the part Of Shakespeare.
His account of Shakespeare character will
certainly be surprise to most readers.
He shows him to have been stepped in al
most every kind of vice, to have been a
fornicator, an adulterer, a userer, an OPP
pressor of the poor, drunkard. a system
attic liar and f0rger of pedigrees, dying IN
the prime Of life from the results OF
THREE DAYS DRUNKEN SPREE.
The next shows that we have no record
that Shakespeare ever owned library or
even book, and that not q simple scrap of
manuscript of his has come down to Us,
not even a letter to any of the numerous
zen with whom lie is known to have been
acquainted; nay, more, that there is ex-
tans no letter addressed to him except one
asking for a loanl of money. There Is
nothing to show that Shakespeare was not
very nearly illiterate. Mr.. Donnelly next
proves very clearly that while the author
of the plays was an accomplished lawyer
there is nothing to show that Shakespeare
ever opened q law book or was inside q
lawyers Office except on usurious business.
1t appears not only that Bacon wrote
works which he never publicly acknow-
edged but that he Is addressed by one of
his friends as the greatest wit in England,
although not known as such by his own
name. Among the reasons for conceal
ment Mr.. Donnelly puts the political
tendency OF some OF the plays, which was
to encourage treason.
Having demonstrated to his own satisfac.
ton that the author Of the plays was not
Shakespeare, Mr.. Donnelly next proceeds
10 prove that he was a poet. He treats Of
the geography of the plays, and here he
brings out some most tell.tsle facts. While
neither Stratford (where Shakespeare
was born) nor Avon is ever once men
toned in the plays, st. Adams, the home
of Bacon, is mentioned twenty. three
times. He next shows that the politics
and the religion OF the writer of the plays
are identical with Bacon's politics.and re-
hg1on, and that what Bacon declared to be
his great life purpose is fully exempIifed
in the plays. A chapter is devoted to
Bacon's reasons of conceelraent and here
comes out.
SOME STARTLING FACTS.
The first part of the work closes with q
long list of parallelisms between Bacon s
acknowledged works and the Shakespear-
ian plays, identical expressions, metaphors
opinions, quotations, studies, errors, use OF
unusual words, character, style. These par.
allelisms will occupy over seventy closely
printed pages. The result of the whole
argument, according to Mr.. Davidson, is
to leave upon the Hind strong i'm preston
that If Bacon was not the sole author oil
the plays be had, at least, principal hand
in them, supplying the Scholarship tbs
art and the philosophy.
After the argument making the author
ship of Bacon probable, comes the demon
stratioD, that is, the cipher narrative, which
has already aroused so much interest in
the public. The article in the World tell:
how Mr.. Donnelly come to look for ciph
er and the laborious process by which hs
finally found it, las he believes). Tue
story is full ofinterest. As to the cipher
itself, Mr.. Davi son does not claim to be in
q position to entirely satisfy the public
not having received from Mr.. Donnelly tbs
ultimate formula of IL. BE does, however
express his strong conviction that Mr.
Donnely.
EEITHEs A FRAUD Oh A "cRANK."
To clear away any feeling of this sort OF
the part of the public, be gives brief &C
count of Mr.. Donnelly's career, aud end
description Of his simple home Life in Min
nesora. Ii seems that Mr.. Connolly is
quiet,s genial, country loving. studiou
man, devoted to thought and fond of
good joke. The picture drawn of his lif
on The Mississippi bluff is charming.
beiDgscersaIn that Mr.. DoDnelly is not
fraud, and not likely his character, aud in
telligence being taken in account TO b
self deceived, Mr.. Davidson hard
" sees how the conclusion
the cipher Ia reality can be avoided. He
that ever. suspends his own Judgment uuti
Mr.. Donnelly has said his last words
About the cipher itself, much new iDfor
nation Is given. It's basis numbers aud ID
modifers are disclosed and il is showl
whence they are derived. Information
also given as to how the calculations ar
made, and assurance Is made exceptinI
possible clerical errors, they are correct
Some notion OF the labor gone through b,
Mr.. Donnelly may be obtsined from tn
statement that the slips of paper on whicl
he has made his calculations Che writes
fine hand and on both sides of the slip
when tied up in bundle, can with diff
Guilty be lifted from the floor by O stron
man using one hand.
FOUR ESSENTIAL POINTS.
Mr.. Davidson declares that SIR. Donnell,
stlll reserves to himself(1) The rule deter
mining the succession Of the basis mum
bers; 81 The rule determining the use o
the various difers; t3) The ruis deter
mining the column or page on which th
count In each case 10 made; (4) The rule dc